Disappointed In You
by vic32
Summary: Brian shows his heart again and Michael learns a lesson
1. Sick Days

DISCLAIMER: QAF and its characters are the sole property of Showtime and Cowlip Productions; no copyright infringement is intended.

Debbie set Carl's breakfast in front of him, since it was her turn to cook today. Carl insisted that she not do all the work around the house all the time; he was going to make their dinner that night.

Placing a kiss on his cheek, Debbie asked, "So, what is the plan for you today?"

Digging into his breakfast, Carl answered dryly, "The joys of paperwork. The part of work TV cop shows fail to demonstrate."

Laughing, Debbie sat across from him, eating her own breakfast. "I know what you mean."

Taking a sip of his juice, Carl asked, "What will you be doing today?"

Swallowing before replying, Debbie said, "Laundry, then going to see Michael in his shop, and I might go check on Brian and Sunshine."

Frowning, he asked, "Why are you checking on them?"

Sighing, Debbie told him, "Brian had a serious bout of the flu, and they thought that the cancer had returned. The doctor prescribed some medicine to help him recover, and thank God they discovered it was just a lipoma with built-up fluid, and nothing malignant. But you can imagine how scared he and Justin were."

Sitting back in his chair, he nodded. "Jeez, I can understand that! Give them my best, will you?" Glancing at the clock and realizing that it was time to leave for work, he rose from his chair to place his dishes in the sink. Kissing Debbie goodbye, he headed toward the precinct.

After washing the dishes, Debbie decided to leave the laundry until later so she could go visit the boys before going to see Michael at his comic book shop.

* * *

Brian sat up in bed, pouting with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm doing better, Justin! I can fucking go to work!"

Justin placed Brian's breakfast tray on his lap as he gave him a long-suffering look. "The doctor said you needed bedrest for a couple of days, and NO work for at least another five days after that; it's only been two days so far. So suck it up and take it like a man, Kinney," he ordered. Before Brian could issue a snarky response, there was a knock at the door.

Justin gave a cheeky smile. "Saved by the bell...or in this case, a knock at the door."

Brian stuck out his tongue like a spoilt child.

Opening the door, Justin saw Debbie standing there with a Tupperware full of her famous chicken soup.

Smiling wide, Justin hugged her. "Hey, Deb! Come on in."

Placing the soup on the counter, she smiled back at him as she asked, "So, Sunshine...how is the patient?"

Rolling his eyes, Justin waved toward the bedroom as he responded, "Acting like the immature adolescent that he is."

Shouting from the bedroom, Brian complained, "I heard that! And. I. Am. Not. Sick anymore!"

Now rolling her eyes as well, Debbie grinned at Justin as she made her way toward the bedroom. Hands on hips, Deb stared at her surrogate son who was sitting up in the bed with his back to the headboard. "Are you giving Sunshine trouble, Mister?"

Brian huffed in indignation as he told her, "No, I'm not."

Wagging her finger at him, she asked, "Then why are you fighting like a married couple? You'd swear there was a ball and chain hanging around your ankle!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Brian didn't answer, thinking at the moment that under the circumstances it might be more prudent not to answer that question.

Walking over to join them, Justin sighed as he asked Debbie, "Deb, could I ask a favor? Could you stay with Mr Grumpy for a few minutes? I just have to run to the drug store for the last refill on his medication."

Patting his cheek, Debbie smiled at him. "Of course I will, Sunshine. And don't worry; I'll make sure he stays in the bed. Normally, you can't get him out of it!" she cackled.

Brian rolled his eyes at her. "Hello? I'm right here! And I don't NEED a fucking babysitter!"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Debbie growled at him, "Then stop being so difficult! Sunshine is doing his best to take good care of you. We all should be so lucky!"

Justin had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the look on Brian's face after that as he promised her, "I'll be right back; I'm sure you can more than handle him, Debbie. And I might even stop at the hardware store to see if they stock any ball and chains while I'm gone."

Debbie laughed at Brian's scowl as Justin left to get the medication.

* * *

Now sitting closer to Brian, Debbie took his right hand in hers as she asked, "So, tell me...on a scale of one to ten, how scared were you really when you thought the cancer might be coming back? Because I know you hid that from Justin. And don't tell me otherwise, either."

Gazing into her eyes before looking away, Brian sighed in resignation. Debbie knew him far too well. "I guess it was off the scale," he admitted. "I thought this is it. And then I wondered what would happen to Justin...and to Gus." Just the thought of how sad this would have made his son feel filled him with great relief that he had been wrong after all.

Tears filled her eyes as she held his hand. "I understand fully, Honey. But you're fine, so that's what you need to concentrate on, okay?"

Brian noticed that she started to lightly trace a line up and down his arm with her index finger; her eyes fixed on one particular spot as if lost in a memory. Covering her hand with his to get her attention, Debbie peered over at him as he told her softly, "That's long healed, Deb. You can't even see the scar anymore."

Biting her lip, she wiped a tear away. "I know, but I can still see that day in my mind as if it were yesterday. You were eight years old when Michael brought you in balanced on his bike, because you couldn't walk. You were covered in blood, and when you collapsed I thought my heart would stop. He fucking broke your arm and cracked your ribs, just because you got the wrong beer from the fridge! I still don't understand why he wasn't locked up that day."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Brian then held her hands tightly in his as he told her, "It was a long time ago; it was different then. I never really went back home after that night. You saved my life, you know that?"

Hugging him, Debbie kissed his cheek as she lamented, "I wish I had done more for you."

Looking into her eyes, Brian smiled. "You were the one who hugged me when I needed one. You went to my parent-teacher conferences, and you threw me birthday parties. Joan wasn't my mother, and Jack wasn't my father. You'll always be more of a mother than she could ever be, and Vic was the father I should have had." Shaking his head, Brian told her softly, "Please stop blaming yourself, Deb; I love you."

Holding out one hand to lightly stroke his cheek, Debbie smiled at him as she answered affectionately, "Love you, too, asshole."

* * *

Justin came home to the sound of laughter; he was so glad to hear that sound.

Going into the bedroom, Justin observed them quietly for a few moments, smiling, before he spoke. "Hey guys, what's so funny?" he asked curiously. Before they could answer, he held up the object he had kept hidden behind his back. "Look what I found at Brats-R-Us?" he teased, a twinkle in his eye. He held up a toy ball and chain he had found at the toy store located in the same strip mall as the drugstore.

"Kinky, Sunshine," Brian responded with a reluctant grin as Debbie laughed at Justin's creativity. "Don't give me any ideas, though; I'm still incapacitated, remember? At least according to YOU."

Justin grinned. "Oh, I don't think ONE particular part is _ever_ incapacitated, no matter how sick you get," he told his lover as Brian smirked at him.


	2. Mr Grumpy

A little while later once Brian had fallen asleep, Debbie left to visit Michael in his shop; her son had requested she come by, indicating that he needed to ask her something important.

Nearing the comic book shop, she walked down Liberty Avenue, which was currently buzzing with activity. She stopped to pick up a sandwich and a cup of coffee for her son, wondering what Michael needed that was so important, and - not for the first time - thinking that she really DID need to cut the apron strings when it came to her only (biological) son.

Steeling herself for whatever he might want, she made her way into his shop, immediately noticing how quiet it seemed; only one little boy sat in the corner, reading one of the comics, while Michael sat glumly behind the cash register counter, looking like he had been left out of a party or something.

Michael looked up at the sound of the bell over the door; seeing his mother, he gave her a sad, puppy-dog eyed look as he greeted her with a sad voice. Hi, Maw."

Mentally rolling her eyes, Debbie set the coffee and sandwich down on the counter for him. "That's for you, Michael. So what was so important that you needed to see me? And why is it so quiet in here?" She snorted. "Seems more like a funeral home than a comic book shop to me."

Trying to seem nonchalant, Michael shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his coffee before responding, "It's not this quiet all the time." Glancing over at the small boy sitting cross-legged on the floor over in the corner, he lowered his voice as he explained, "That's Simon; poor kid can't afford to buy any comics, so I let him read some after helping me out sometimes."

Patting his cheek in approval, she smiled. "Good for you for doing that, Michael. But now - tell me what it was you wanted to talk to me about?"

Sighing, Michael went over to Simon, crouching down to tell him that he needed to close the store now, but encouraging him to take the comic home with him that he was enjoying. After the boy left, he shut the door, locking it and flipping the sign over to indicate the shop was closed.

Returning to the counter, he leaned against it as he confessed, "Maw...I'm in trouble. I mean, the shop's in trouble. Business is steadily getting worse, and if I don't do something fast, I'm going to lose everything that I've invested in it."

Hands on her hips and shaking her head, Debbie huffed out an exasperated breath,not bothering to point out that her son's 'investment' was mainly the thousands of dollars that Brian had helped him accrue by selling the valuable Astroman comic book that had been a birthday present for him. She shook her head. "How did you manage that? What happened, Michael?"

He told her helplessly, "I don't know."

Not buying that flimsy response, Debbie narrowed her eyes to bore into his as she grasped his chin and forced him to look at her. "What do you mean,you don't know? And just how are you going to get out of this fucking hole you've dug yourself into? I assume you have bills here that you're going to tell me you can't pay...right?"

Michael sighed with a nod. "And at home, too," he softly admitted.

Debbie's eyes widened with incredulity. "What? How did it come to this, Michael? Everyone knows you shouldn't mix your business money with your personal money!"

Michael covered his face with his hands briefly before he complained, "What do I know about business? I didn't think! I thought I could cover one account with the other! But I know now that I couldn't!" He wailed. "That's why I need your help."

Scooting onto a stool to face her son, Debbie dreaded the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Just what kind of 'help' do you need, Michael?"

Biting his lip nervously, Michael finally got to the crux of the matter. "I was wondering...if you could remortgage your house, and loan me the money to help me out?"

Debbie's eyes went wide as her mouth dropped open, her voice filled with shock. "Are you out of your mind? I just finished paying that off! Why not mortgage your OWN house? Why MY fucking house?"

Michael whined, "Because I can't afford it, Maw! Ben and I have Hunter and JR to take care of, and all these other bills to pay, so I thought as my mother you would want to help me."

Sighing deeply, she shook her head in disgust. "Jesus, Michael! You are asking a lot from me! You know that Carl and I have bills to pay, too!"

Giving her his most desperate look, Michael cried, "Yeah, but I'm your kid!"

Despite her extreme reservations, Debbie couldn't tell her son no, so once more she wound up in debt again; she just prayed that it would be the last time.

* * *

Justin finally let his sick patient out of bed so he could rest on the couch and watch TV.

Handing Brian a cup of coffee, Justin smiled as he asked, "Happy now, Mr. Grumpy?"

Taking the coffee, Brian groused, "I'm not grumpy; I'm just expressing myself."

Laughing, Justin sat down next to him. "Is that what it's called? Okay...so are you happy expressing yourself, then?"

Hiding his grin behind his cup, Brian replied, "Yes, very."

Halfway through watching a movie, Justin noticed that Brian had fallen asleep, so he reached over to retrieve a blanket that was draped over the back of the couch to cover him. Kissing his head, he quietly watched Brian in slumber for a while, glad that he was getting some much-needed rest, before he headed to the kitchen, preparing some food for them to eat later that evening.

It was going to be a very long few days with Mr. Grumpy Boots, Justin decided, laughing as he got back to work with their meal. _Love certainly makes you do some crazy things_ , he thought.

Brian did, in fact, get back to work before the week was over, however, feeling much better, thanks to the healing power of Justin's care and some very effective prescription medication he had obtained from the doctor.


	3. Pride

Brian sat behind his desk, glad to be back at work and feeling productive again; he hated sitting around, doing nothing. He would never admit to it out loud, but he had actually enjoyed having his Sunshine looking after him.

A knock on the door brought his attention back to the task at hand as he called out, "Come in."

Cynthia popped her head around the door, smiling. "I see the sick man has returned."

Rolling his eyes as he laughed lightly, Brian snorted. "Wrong! I am no longer among the disabled, thank God. I was going out of my mind at home! Normally when Justin won't let me out of bed, it's a good thing, but not when I'm sick. He was like a fucking prison warden!"

Coming closer to his desk, she laughed as she put a steaming cup of some amber liquid in front of him, along with a hot muffin.

Raising an eyebrow, Brian asked, "What's this?"

Trying not to laugh again, Cynthia couldn't keep the amused look from her eyes as she revealed, "You can thank your prison warden. He asked me to give you these. It's hot tea with honey and lemon and a low-carb breakfast muffin. He said that I was to make sure you ate every bite and drank every drop."

Rolling his eyes, Brian grimaced as he let out a sigh of resignation. "I hate tea, and I never eat breakfast!" Cynthia stared at him with that 'know-it-all' sort of expression until he admitted grudgingly, "But it's better than a moody Justin when I get home; that's ten times _worse_ than a prison warden."

Laughing even more, Cynthia turned around and headed toward the door before she left one, last parting shot. "No, you really don't want to go there...now get to work!"

Brian maturely stuck out his tongue at her before he took a brief taste of the tea, deciding after a few more sips that it did seem to help his throat, and the muffin didn't taste half-bad. "Smart fucker," he grunted as he finished off the last bite in short order. .

Just as he finished, his private line rang; he knew who it was before he picked up the phone. "Hey, Sunshine."

Laughing into the phone, Justin teased him. "Hi, honey!"

Brian snorted. "Ha, ha."

Justin grinned. "I take it Cynthia delivered your breakfast to you? Were you a good little patient and finish all of what she gave you?"

Chuckling now, Brian nodded into the phone. "Are you kidding? I think if I had refused, she would have tied me to my desk until I did. She's almost as bad as you are. You've trained her well."

Sitting down now, Justin asked, "So, do you have lots to do today?"

Looking over his desk, Brian shook his head; considering how long he had been gone, he had caught up with a lot of the important things in fairly short order, helped, no doubt, by his more-than-capable staff. "Not really. Just a few pre-campaign meetings to attend, and my daily chewing out of the Art Department over their lame-ass boards, but nothing too heavy," he told Justin who chuckled. "Cynthia and Ted actually kept the place running fairly smoothly. What do you have on _your_ list for the day?"

Letting out a breath and thankful that Brian's first day back wasn't going to be too overloaded, he told his partner, "I'm glad to hear that. I just have to finish a tiny bit of that painting I was working on, and then I was thinking of meeting you for lunch."

Brian smiled at the thought; he could always use a high-protein lunch with a little Sunshine mixed in. "I think I can squeeze you in," he told him, lips curled under.

Justin laughed. "Gee, thanks. Okay, I'll see you around one?"

"I'll pencil you in," Brian replied seriously, hearing a snort on the other end, before - with a quick 'love you' from Justin, and a 'you, too; later,' from Brian - they concluded their call.

* * *

A knock on the office door signalled Brian's first meeting of the day. Kevin Adams, the head of the Art Department, came in with some foam boards and idea sketches.

Sitting down across from Brian, the man handed Brian the boards as he advised him, "Those are the boards for the _Crews Camping Equipment_ campaign; since it's aimed at a pre-school demographic, a teddy bear's picnic seemed like a good concept for the advertising."

Studying the boards, Brian had to admit it made sense. "I think you're right," he admitted. "Good call. Who came up with the idea?"

Blushing as he laughed, Kevin told him, "Actually my daughter Kelly did. She made up the whole story of the bears buying all the gear as a family and having fun. I took her idea, and used it to come up with the illustrations and the slogan."

Impressed, Brian handed the boards and sketches back to the other man as he replied, "Well, Kelly might have just earned herself a bonus for her idea."

Looking shocked, Kevin asked with a frown, "A bonus, Mr Kinney?"

Clasping his hands in front of him, Brian smiled at the man who was his newest employee in the Art Department as he told him, "It's just Brian. And yes, if they go for this idea, it's only right that she gets some credit for it; maybe some college fund seed money? Since we stand to make a hefty amount on this deal, I think it's only fair."

Kevin was stunned. He had heard that his new boss expected 110% out of everyone, but he had _also_ heard that Brian was fair and willing to reward those who came through for him. He hadn't expected that, however. "Wow...that would be amazing! Thank you."

Brian nodded in acknowledgment. "So what else do we have?"

Handing over some promotional material for another account, Kevin hesitated, hoping his new boss wasn't about to take back his generous offer. "The Department was stuck on an idea for the _Kirsty Diamonds_ account; nothing really seemed to fit well with what they told you they wanted. But I was working on them at home last night, and my daughter Emma was watching me work, and suggested having a little girl around her age dress up in a princess costume, and then step through a mirror to be transformed into a grown-up image of herself, wearing a _Kirsty Diamonds_ necklace and earrings like a real princess. Kind of like an _Alice in Wonderland_ sort of concept." He grinned. "She's a real girly girl," he explained.

Brian's eyes lit up as he studied the concept Kevin proposed. Kinnetik had been the advertising agency for _Kirsty Diamonds_ for a few years now, so he had a good feel for what they would or wouldn't like. Something told him his client would be very happy with what they had come up with for their next advertising blitz on television and in print ads. He shook his head with a half-smile. "I agree; I think this is exactly the type of campaign for their new line of jewelry."

Kevin smiled with both pleasure and relief. "Thank you, Brian; I'm glad you like it."

Brian handed the boards back to his employee as he replied, "Your daughters will be working here in no time; I think they are, what? Six and seven?"

Kevin gaped at him in amazement. _How did he know that_? But then again, he shouldn't be too surprised; everyone had told him that Kinnetik was the best at what it did, and its CEO was the consummate professional when it came to research. Apparently that involved not only their clients, but his employees as well. Nodding with pride, he told him,"That's right Brian. Kelly will be six next week, and Emma will turn seven; their birthdays are two days apart."

Brian nodded as he pushed back from his desk to stand up. Walking around the desk as Kevin, too, rose to stand, he shook his hand. "Well, if the two clients accept our campaigns, I will see that both of your daughters get some college fund money as a thank you for their contributions." He added, "You should be very proud of them; when they get old enough, send them my way, and I'll find them both jobs here. We can use some more employees with their sense of imagination and creativity. Sometimes I think when we get older, a lot of people lose that ability."

Kevin swallowed a lump of pride he felt as he responded, "They're great girls; thank you, Brian."

"When you get back to your desk, email me some of the graphics so I can present them to both clients. But I think they will both be very happy with what you have created."

"I will," Kevin promised, turning and heading toward the door, his heart beating furiously over the fact that he had been so successful with his ideas.

* * *

As soon as Kevin left, Brian phoned his clients to explain in detail the concepts the girls had come up with, advising both CEOs that he would email them the graphic ideas and some of the media material they were planning to use within a few minutes, along with an inspiration he had had after speaking with Kevin. A few minutes later, he leaned back in his chair, a big smile of triumph on his face.

Kevin had only returned to his desk in the Art Department for a few minutes before Brian summoned him back. Knocking briefly on Brian's door and getting a brief 'Enter,' he poked his head through the door a little anxiously become walking inside. "You needed to see me about one of the ad campaigns, Brian? Is everything alright? Did I miss something?"

Shaking his head, Brian waved him toward the same chair he had occupied before. "No, Kevin, please take a seat. Actually, I have some great news."

Sitting down nervously, but somewhat encouraged by Brian's words, he peered over at him curiously. "You do?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. I emailed some of the graphics and the campaign ideas of your daughters over to the clients, and just got off the phone with both their CEOs." He smiled. "I didn't know your daughters had actually made up a video of their ideas; that was pretty ingenious on their part."

Smiling in pride over his boss's words, Kevin laughed. "Yeah, they're a bit of a showoff. But they love to play act."

"Well, good thing, because when my clients saw your ideas - and the girls' videos - they both wanted Kelly and Emma to be in both their print and television advertising. Think they would like that? They would only get paid a modest amount under the SAG rules, but they would still earn some money for their work, in addition to the bonuses I mentioned to you earlier. It should be quite a tidy college fund for both of them by the time they're done."

Kevin's eyes nearly popped out of his head and his mouth dropped open. "Are you serious? Oh, my God! They would love that so much!"

Brian nodded, pleased. "Well, with the bonus I agreed upon - and the money they would earn from their participation in the print and video ads - I think both girls could easily walk away with a minimum of $75,000 each. They could pretty much go to any school they wanted with that amount, if it is saved wisely. Kelly could be the voice of one of the bears for the Crews account, and Emma would get to play the younger version of the princess stepping through the mirror for the other client. Sound fair?"

It took a few moments for Kevin to find his voice. "Fair? Wow. That is MORE than fair! I think both of my girls will be over the moon." He hesitated for a moment, instantly garnering Brian's attention.

"Was there something else?"

"No, not really," Kevin assured him a little awkwardly. "But, Brian…"

"What? Trust me, it's a very generous offer for both girls, and I will see that they get paid promptly as soon as the advertising is completed."

"No, I'm not worried about that," the other man quickly assured him as Brian nodded. "But Brian, they DO realize that Emma has Down's Syndrome, right?" It certainly wasn't anything he was ashamed about; he was proud of both his girls, and Emma was an especially happy child. But he wanted to make sure she would be treated properly - just like any other girl. That was how he saw her. "That won't be a problem for them?"

Shaking his head to reassure him, Brian replied, "Hell, no! The client didn't even express a concern about that. All he saw was an engaging, charming young lady who would make a perfect princess. And those were HIS words, too; not mine, although I agree with him."

Rising from his chair to walk around his desk, Brian placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Take the rest of the day off as a 'thank you,' and go see your little girls so you can tell them the good news. I'll have the appropriate papers drawn up, which you will have to sign as their parent/guardian." He grinned. "Plus, something tells me you wouldn't be able to concentrate the rest of the day anyway."

Laughing with a nod, Kevin stood up and shook his boss's hand. "I suspect you're right," he admitted with a smile. "Brian, thank you; words can't express what this means to me. I think the world of both my girls." Brian nodded with a smile as he watched his employee turn around and almost skip out of his office, grinning over his excitement.

Once Kevin had departed, he picked up the phone, waiting impatiently for his call to go through. He barely waited for Justin to answer before he couldn't contain his OWN excitement. In fact, as soon as he heard Justin say 'hey,' he told him, "Get ready for tonight, Sunshine; we're heading out to Babylon! We're going to dance, drink and trick the night away together!"

The excitement in Brian's voice was contagious as Justin laughed, happy to hear his lover so fired up. Just the exhilarated tone in Brian's voice - and the anticipation of what was to come - made him horny. "I can't wait!" he told him. "Bring it on... _Mr. Kinney_."

Laughing himself - and feeling his own cock twitching at the sultry tone of Justin's voice, he smiled. "Get ready," he told him, quickly disconnecting the call.


	4. Concern

As always before going to Babylon, Brian and Justin went to eat at the Liberty Diner. The place was packed, so they had to sit at the counter.

Justin whispered to Brian, "I haven't seen it this busy in ages. Is Debbie working all the tables on her own?"

Frowning with concern, Brian glanced around, noticing that she was by herself; when Debbie passed by them, he grabbed her arm briefly to get her attention. "Debbie, are you working on your own tonight? Where's Kiki?"

Slightly out of breath, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she explained, "Kiki's having one of her migranes, so I'm working the fucking place on my own again."

Eyeing her sympathetically, Justin told her, "If you need me to, I can stay and help. Brian can still go to Babylon without me."

Smiling as she patted his cheek, she replied, "That's okay, Sunshine; I'll be fine. You go have fun. You haven't been out in ages with Mr. Grumpy there."

Pulling a face, Brian protested, "Hey, I wasn't grumpy! I was expressing myself while I was sick."

Rolling her eyes and rubbing his head, Debbie joked, "Whatever, asshole. Now go have fun and drag Sunshine to the back room or something. I'm sure after taking care of YOU, he definitely need a stress reliever."

Brian gave her a face. "Ha, ha. Come on; let's go before she changes her mind."

* * *

Before leaving the diner on their way to the club, Brian glanced over his shoulder as he peered at Debbie rushing around the establishment at breakneck speed, several dishes balanced in her hands. "I'm worried about Debbie," he admitted, his brow creased.

Holding Brian's hand in his as they walked, Justin nodded his head in agreement. "I know what you mean. I've never seen her that out of breath before, or so flustered around her customers."

Rubbing his face with his free hand, Brian sighed. "I hope it's just because it's so crowded tonight, and she's on her own."

Justin nodded. "I'm sure everything will be fine once the crowd dies down." But silently he wasn't so sure; he was concerned as well.

* * *

The thumpa thumpa of the music could be heard outside the club, drawing in those who wanted to let loose and dance well into the night and early morning.

Making their way inside to the sound of the pulsating, techno beat, the music vibrated through their bodies, making them dance their way to the bar as they continued to grip each other's hands to stay together.

Michael, Ted and Emmett were already at the bar when the boys arrived.

Brian eyed them with a glint in his eye. "Well, if it isn't the _lollipop guild_ waiting for us."

Ted rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Brian."

Michael was beaming, bouncing on his feet to the music. "Hey guys, you made it!" he shouted over the loud music. "Next round is on me!"

Raising an eyebrow, Brian staggered back jokingly as if he had been shot. "You, Mikey, paying for a round of drinks? Is the world coming to an end?"

Playfully punching Brian in the shoulder, Michael replied, "No, I just want to treat my friends."

Emmett smiled over the top of his drink as he revealed to Justin, "He's been buying me Cosmos all night, baby, and I'm feeling soooo good."

Justin laughed at Emmett's slightly goofy, drunken state. "Maybe the world really IS coming to an end."

After downing some drinks, Brian and Justin took to the dance floor, showing all of Babylon and Liberty Avenue why they were the hottest couple around, grinding against each other and dirty dancing for everyone to see and envy.

Kissing Brian deeply, Justin then whispered in his ear, "Well...do you see any tricks you wanna try?"

Grinning as he peered into Justin's eyes, Brian whispered back, "Why don't you pick one out for me? You know what I like."

Loving the challenge, Justin glanced around, taking only a few seconds to locate the perfect trick for his lover.

Motioning with his head, Justin said, "That one. The tall, brown-haired one, wearing the blue top over next to the stairs."

Looking at the target and liking what he saw, Brian kissed Justin. "As always, you have such good taste, Sunshine," he told him with a smile. "You will be getting an extra special reward tonight for your efforts."

Justin laughed as he joined the guys at the bar, while Brian led his trick to the back room for some hot action.

Michael drank from his bottle as he asked Justin, "How can you let him trick like that? And even pick the guy out for him?"

Smiling as he took a sip of his bottled water, Justin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't control Brian, so I'm not 'letting' him do anything. It's what he does. It doesn't mean he loves me any less, so why change him?"

Still whining, Michael continued, "But isn't it like cheating on you or something?"

Rolling his eyes, Justin explained as if he were talking to a child, "No, all he does is get blow jobs; he never fucks the guy, and most of the time I pick his tricks out FOR him. If you love someone the way they are, you don't want to change them, or they would no longer be the man that you fell in love with." He shrugged his shoulders as he pointed out, "He picks them out for _me_ when we do it together."

Emmett nodded his head in agreement. "I think as long as you're both happy, that's all that matters."

Ted held up his bottle in a sort of salute. "Here, here! Plus, they're not hurting anyone," he added.

* * *

Minutes later, Brian came back minus the trick, taking a long drink from Justin's water before kissing him again.

Once the kiss ended, Justin asked, "Well, was he any good?"

Laughing, Brian held Justin close as he responded, "Yeah, he was all right. But nothing compared to _your_ talented mouth."

Kissing some more, Brian asked, "You see anyone you want to try tonight?"

Shaking his head, Justin smiled. "Not tonight; I'm saving my ass and my mouth all for you."

Tugging on Justin's lower lip with his teeth, Brian whispered, his voice low and sultry, "I love the sound of that."

They danced until closing before making their back to the loft; passing the diner on their way home, they saw that Debbie was still working and hoped that she would be okay.

* * *

The door barely slid shut when clothes were ripped off and thrown onto the floor as they kissed and caressed each other on the way to the bed. Tonight was going to be hot and full of passion; they could both feel it in the air.

Lying on his back on the bed, Justin gazed up into Brian's eyes as he brushed the hair away that fell over his brow. "Make love to me, Brian; long and slow," he pleaded softly.

Leaning down and kissing Justin, nipping at his lips, he moved up his jaw, taking his earlobe between his teeth and causing his lover to shiver as he replied, "As you wish, Sunshine."

Their passion could be heard all over the building as they made love for hours before falling asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. The smiles on their faces confirmed that their plan to drink, dance and trick had been the fire that had fueled their passion and added to their love.


	5. Shock

Carl was very worried about his wife; she was working way too many hours, morning and night. He also knew that she was trying to supplement her income by taking in other people's clothing to iron in addition to her job at the diner. He was getting increasingly concerned that she would suffer another collapse like the one she had had before if she didn't slow down soon. But he also knew how stubborn she could be.

Setting her breakfast in front of her, he placed a kiss on her head, steeling himself for what he figured would be Debbie's reply as he asked, "Deb, would you please call in today? You are practically dead on your feet."

Smiling as she reached over to pat his hand as he sat down next to her with his own breakfast, she assured him, "I'm fine, Carl; don't worry about me."

Stabbing a bite of his scrambled eggs to eat, Carl waited until he swallowed before replying, ""Why can't you get Michael to pay for the mortgage? Why are _we_ paying it? It is a loan, after all."

Sighing, Deb looked over at him sadly as she revealed, "He can't, Carl. He just can't afford it."

Covering her hand with his - the concern etched clearly on his face - he gruffly replied, "Well, you can't afford to risk your health, either." But he knew he was wasting his time when it came to Debbie's son. She would do what she had to do; that was what she always did. She placed everyone else's needs above her own.

He sighed in frustration, the rest of their breakfast eaten in silence before they both went their separate ways as they headed off to work.

* * *

 _Novotny-Bruckner House..._

Ben, Michael and Hunter all sat around their dining room table, enjoying a healthy breakfast as they discussed their plans for the day.

Excitement filled Michael as he told them, "I have some remodeling guys coming to the store today to see about putting in some new shelves, and maybe a new counter."

Frowning, Ben asked, "How can you afford that? I thought that business was slow right now."

Shaking his head, Michael was unable to keep the lie from escaping his lips as he told the others, "No. Actually, it's going well. I'm sure that it won't be a problem." Neither Ben nor Hunter had the least inkling where the money was actually coming from.

Turning to Hunter, Ben asked, "You still enrolling in that sign language class today?"

Grinning, Hunter nodded excitedly as he exclaimed, "Hell, yeah I am! It's going to be brilliant! I'M going to be brilliant!" That evoked a laugh from both parents, easing the tension in Michael's stomach just a bit as they finished their breakfast.

* * *

 _Kinnetik Offices..._

Brian arrived early at his office, because Kevin was bringing his two little girls in today to start preparing for their commercials.

Hearing a knock on his door, he smiled, knowing who it was as he responded, "Come in."

The door burst open, and in ran two very happy little girls screaming excitedly, "Hi, Brian!" He barely had time to stand up and walk around his desk before his legs were enveloped by both girls in a tight hug.

Kevin looked embarrassed. "Girls, his name is Mr. Kinney." It was one thing for HIM to call him Brian, but he had always taught his girls to address adults by their correct title to show respect.

Brian shook his head and smiled over their enthusiasm. "Brian is just fine," he assured them, crouching down to their level to speak with them. "Well, you must be Kelly," he told the one girl, recognizing her immediately. Which means that you must be Emma." Both girls smiled shyly at him as he asked them, "So are you ready to help your Dad and me out with some very important work today?"

Nodding, Kevin led them over to a couple of chairs; he sat down in one, while the girls were small enough to share the other one together.

Brian smiled at them from across his desk. "So are you both excited?"

They bobbed their heads eagerly, big smiles on their faces. It was Kelly who was the first to speak. "Yeah! We can't wait!"

Brian chuckled at the two girls' eagerness. "Well, I'm very happy you could be here today. You both came up with some amazing ideas, and you should be very proud. I have a big surprise for you: you are both going to star in your own commercial!"

They both gasped, covering their mouths, as Emma asked, "We are? What will we do in them, Brian?"

Smiling at Emma, Brian opened a file on his desk as he told her, "Well, Emma, you get to be the little princess in your commercial, and you will be treated just like a princess, too. You will have your own dressing room, with your name on the door. You both will," he told the two girls.

Turning to Kelly, he opened her file to inform her, "Kelly, you get to be the voice of one of the bears, and the drawing you did will be included in a book one of the bears will be reading, because it was really good."

The girls hugged each other as they squealed in delight. Emma clapped her hands. "I really get to be a princess?"

Nodding at her, Brian smiled even more as Kevin looked at her with fatherly pride. "Emma, you already _are_ a beautiful princess. Now everyone else will see that in the commercial."

Kelly looked at her sister with a proud look on her face as well as she told her, "See, Emma? I always told you that you were a beautiful princess!"

Brian felt his eyes tear up as he scooted back from his desk to tell them, "I think both of you are going to have an amazing time today! Your dad will take you to the shooting locations now to learn your lines, and pick the clothes and accessories that you will be wearing. Have fun!"

Squealing again, they jumped up to hug their benefactor once more. "Thank you, Brian!"

Rubbing their heads affectionately, he smiled at them. "It's a pleasure, girls; now get going - your audience is waiting for you! Have a great time!"

As their dad led them away, he mouthed at his boss, "Thank you." With a brief nod, Brian watched them go.

Hearing his stomach rumbling, Brian decided to head to the diner for a late breakfast, since he had forgotten to eat anything earlier; a round of particularly mind-blowing sex had left him preoccupied, but he wasn't complaining.

* * *

 _Liberty Diner..._

Being later in the morning, the diner wasn't too crowded, so it was easy for Brian to slide into his favorite booth; he sighed, however, as he observed Debbie working again.

Seeing Brian, Debbie came over to fill his coffee cup for him as she asked, "What brings you here on your own?"

Looking up at her, he explained, "Justin has to deliver one of his paintings today to a client, and I had to be at work early."

Debbie nodded, wiping her sweaty brow with the back of her hand before her face seemed to turn pale as he spoke, and she began to sway lightly on her feet.

Alarmed, Brian called out her name, but to Debbie it seemed to be from far away. "Deb?"

Suddenly, she began to fall, but thankfully Brian was able to catch her just before she crumpled to the floor, the coffeepot shattering into several pieces as it left her grasp and hit the tiled floor, luckily missing Debbie, but only by a few inches.

Cradling Debbie in his arms, Brian looked at the woman he had come to love as a mother, lying limp and lifeless in his grasp as he shouted, "Call fucking 911 NOW!"


	6. Compassion

_Liberty Diner..._

Brian sat on the floor of the diner, cradling Debbie in his arms. His heart was hammering in his chest as panic set in. This was the second time he had sat on a cold ground, holding someone he loved and not knowing if they would be alright or not.

Debbie moaned into his chest as she came to. "Wha-what happened?"

Holding her firmly, Brian pulled her closer as he explained gently, "You passed out, Deb. But don't worry; I caught you before you hit the floor."

Debbie chuckled, "So now you've got me swooning at your feet, too? I guess the Kinney charm is fully operational."

Even though he felt like he was breaking apart with worry, he laughed to put her at ease. "You know how hard it is to resist me," he agreed with a slight smile, trying hard to keep the concern out of his voice.

Hearing the sirens approaching, Brian let out a relieved breath. "The EMTs are here now; you're going to be just fine."

Two paramedics walked into the diner - one male, one female - as they rushed over to her aid.

It was the female that took the lead, "Hi, I'm Penny," she said by way of introduction, crouching down next to her. "What's your name?"

Turning away from Brian's chest, Debbie looked at her intently before replying a little breathlessly, "I'm Debbie."

Penny smiled at her. "What happened, Debbie?"

Brian answered for her before Debbie could, explaining, "She passed out a few minutes ago. She looked pale and sweaty and unsteady on her feet beforehand. And then she started to fall, but I caught her before she hit the ground."

Fitting a blood pressure cuff on her arm, Penny nodded as she peered over at him. "What's your name, Sir?"

Still holding Debbie in his arms while they worked on her, he told her, "I'm Brian. I'm a friend of Debbie's."

Debbie rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she added, "Not a friend; more like an adopted son to me." Brian's heart skipped a beat over her words. Nothing could happen to this woman. Nothing. He wouldn't let it.

Nodding as she smiled at the pair, Penny read the reading on the monitor. "Well, your blood pressure is a bit on the high end, so we will take you in to get you checked out, just to be on the safe side."

As they loaded her onto the gurney, Brian grasped her hand, and didn't let go of it as they all climbed into the ambulance and headed to the hospital. He was afraid to lose contact with the only true mother figure that he had ever known.

* * *

 _Allegheny General Hospital..._

While waiting in the treatment room for the results of all the tests they had done on her, Brian finally had a chance to ask, "Okay... now that we are alone, tell me what the fuck happened, Debbie?"

Sighing as she glanced into the worried eyes of her companion, she shrugged. "I don't know."

Leaning close to her with fire in his eyes, Brian spoke through gritted teeth. "BULLSHIT," he growled, not believing that for one second. "Now you fucking tell me, or I will hunt everyone down until I find out why this happened! And you _know_ that I will."

Debbie sighed. Yes, she did know that. But before she could reply, the doctor came back in with all the results, "Well, Ms. Novotny, everything is fine, apart from the high blood pressure. Just make sure you continue to take your medication. This was a clear case of exhaustion, so you need to slow down and rest. I am ordering you to take a week's leave from work so you can take it easy for a while, and build your strength back up. I don't want you lifting a finger. Is there someone that can make sure that you follow these rules?"

Brian spoke up first with determination. "I will, Doc," he told the man firmly as he peered down at the patient, his jaw set. "You can count on that."

Groaning inwardly, Debbie knew that there was no getting out of this now.

* * *

 _The Loft..._

Brian took Debbie back to the loft, settling her on the couch and covering her with a blanket. Making her some tea, he walked over to hand the cup to her before sitting next to her to hear why all of this had happened.

Debbie sipped her tea to compose her thoughts, trying to decide how much to tell him.

Brian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Please, Debbie, tell me what is going on! Do you have any idea how fucking scared I was, watching the only mother figure I have collapse like that? I thought my heart would stop, watching you fall. So, please, tell me why?"

Placing the cup on the table, she gripped the blanket tightly in her hands. "All right. But you are not going to like it."

Holding her hand now, Brian pleaded, "I don't care. Just tell me what's going on."

Nodding, she held both of his hands as she revealed, "A few weeks ago, Michael came to me for help with his shop. He asked if I could re-mortgage my house to help because he said he couldn't mortgage his own because of JR and Hunter's expenses. So I've been working overtime and double shifts to pay off what I owe the mortgage company." She held her breath after she finished, knowing what was going to happen. She didn't have long to wait, either.

Brian nearly exploded over what he just heard as he fought to maintain his composure. "Michael asked you to do that? To put yourself in debt? He IS helping you to pay it back, though, at least...right?"

Shaking her head, Debbie licked her lips nervously. "No, he said that he can't afford to do that."

Letting go of her hands, Brian abruptly stood up, fury running through his veins as he paced the loft. "He was throwing around a shitload of money last night at Babylon! I'm going to fucking kill him! You do NOT put your mother in a position like that - EVER! What company is your mortgage with?"

Debbie watched him worriedly as Brian continued to pace around the living area. "What do you mean 'a shitload of cash?'"

Laughing sarcastically, Brian told her, "He was buying rounds all night, and going on and on about wanting to remodel the shop and buying new shelves for all this business he had - when it was obviously a big, fat, fucking lie!"

Debbie felt devastated after hearing that.

Brian asked again, "So what company do you have it with?"

Extremely upset that her own son would use her in this way - and then lie about it - Debbie choked out her reply. "Liberty Bank; I got it through them."

Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was only two, Brian turned to her to ask, "Are you up to going somewhere right now for a short time?"

Nodding, she replied, narrowing her eyes. "I think so. Why?"

Grabbing his keys, he guided her out the door as he urged, "Come on, then; we're going for a ride."

Sitting in the passenger seat a few minutes later, she couldn't contain her curiosity as she asked, "Where are we going?"

Gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white, Brian glanced at her before putting on his sunglasses. "We are going to go fix something; then you're going back to rest in the loft until Carl is finished working. And then I might need to pay someone a visit."

Pulling up outside the Liberty Bank, Debbie asked, "What are we doing here?"

Brian's face was grim as he simply told her, "Fixing a huge, fucking mistake."

* * *

 _Liberty Bank..._

Without saying another word, Brian led her over to the customer service counter to speak to the young woman standing behind it. "I need to speak to someone about mortgage payments."

Seeing how serious he was, she nodded at him and flashed a nervous smile. "Certainly, Sir. If you will just take a seat, someone will be out to help you shortly."

Debbie tried to get Brian to talk but he refused, leading her over to a couple of seats in front of the bank manager's office; a few minutes later, they were seated in front of the manager in charge of the bank's lending department.

Myles smiled at the pair, as he greeted. "I'm Daniel Myles. So, what can I do for you today?"

Brian took off his sunglasses as he spoke, pinching the bridge of his nose as he explained, "I want to pay off Mrs. Novotny's mortgage balance; can that be done today?"

Debbie's mouth hung open in shock as she protested, "Brian, you can't! It's way too much."

Looking at her with a no-nonsense type of expression, he stated firmly, "I can and I will, so deal with it."

Turning back to Myles, he asked, "So what is the payoff balance?" He reached inside his jacket pocket to retrieve his checkbook, eyeing the man expectantly.

Knowing that you should never piss off a wealthy customer, Myles nodded. "I'll get that for you. Do you have anything with your account information with you, Mrs. Novotny?"

Debbie shook her head. "No...just my checkbook in my purse. Would that help?"

The man nodded as Debbie dug around in her purse to find her checkbook and hand it to him. "Yes, I should be able to find the account with that."

All it took was twenty minutes of bank transfers and forms before Debbie's mortgage was paid off. Just before leaving, Brian opened up a checking account with the bank, arranging to have $3,000 a month automatically transferred from his account into Debbie's until further notice.

In tears over Brian's overwhelming generosity, Debbie was uncharacteristically rendered speechless until she reached the couch in the loft again.

Catching Brian by the hand, she asked, "Why, Brian? And how...how can you afford that? Why do this for me?"

Sitting beside her, Brian held both her trembling hands in his. "Debbie, I can more than afford it; I don't want you to ever have to worry about your living expenses ever again - or work any double shifts or long hours, do you hear me? No son EVER does what Michael did to you. There was no way that I was going to stand by and watch you kill yourself. Please slow down, okay?" He blinked back tears himself now as he added hoarsely, his voice filled with emotion as he explained, "I can't lose you."

Hugging him close, Debbie kissed his head. "Brian...Honey...I love and thank you for everything. I don't know what to say for once," she kidded him. "Except how can I ever repay you for what you just did?"

He shook his head at her. "You more than paid me back a long time ago. Just promise me, Deb. That will be payment enough."

Debbie swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded back at him. "Okay, Kiddo. I promise you that I will slow down."


	7. Confrontation

_The Loft..._

Once again Brian made sure that Debbie was comfortable on the couch before moving away. "I'm going to go pay Mikey a visit. Will you be okay here while I'm gone?"

Worried, Debbie grabbed the hand closest to her. "Brian, please don't do anything stupid."

Looking at her with all sorts of emotions flashing in his eyes, he gave her a wicked grin. "I'll handle it, don't worry. Now will you be okay until I get back? Are you sure that you don't want me to call Carl for you?"

Waving him off, Debbie shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Just, please, don't do anything that you will regret."

Just before leaving, he turned around to peer over at her with grim determination on his face. "You know me, Debbie. I can take care of myself. It WILL be handled."

As the loft door slid shut with a bang, Debbie cursed, knowing just that and praying that Brian wouldn't actually kill her son.

* * *

 _In the 'Vette..._

Driving to Michael's shop, thoughts of what Brian would do to him once he saw him ran through his head.

* * *

 _Red Cape Comics..._

Michael smiled as he stood in his empty shop and gazed around, unaware of what was about to happen. The workmen had just left after giving him a price quote for the new shelving and customer counter, and visions of what the revamped store would look like floated through his head.

Looking up when the bell rang over the shop door, he was delighted to see that it was his best friend, Brian, coming in. His smile quickly changed, however, as he noticed the look of pure anger on his face.

Before he had a chance to utter a word, Brian punched him square on the jaw, knocking him to the ground as he landed on his backside.

Lying there stunned, Michael rubbed his sore jaw as he yelled at him, "Hey, what was that for? That fucking hurt, and I think you loosened some teeth!"

Standing over him, Brian's rage spilled out. "THAT was for your mother! How could you do that to her? Have you any idea what you have done? Do you? Do you even care?"

Shaking his head as he sat on the hard floor, Michael whined, "What did I do? I would never do anything to maw!"

Hands balled into fists, Brian's face went even redder with fury. "Oh, is that right? How about getting her to re-mortgage her house, and not pay a cent to help out? And how about flaunting all that cash around Babylon? How about the fact that she collapsed in the diner today! Thank God that I was there to catch her before she hit the ground," Brian declared, holding up a hand to stop Michael from talking when he opened his mouth. "She had to be taken to the hospital, Michael! The doctor said she was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, and needed a week's bed-rest and had to slow down, because she was working overtime and double shifts to pay for YOUR debts!"

Pacing the store with his hands still balled up in fury, Brian continued his rant. "I can't believe that you are that selfish! There's no excuse for putting Debbie's health at risk! Luckily I paid her mortgage off, but don't you EVER do anything like this again! If you ask her for even so much as a dollar, I'll fucking _kill_ you!"

Still sitting on the floor and rubbing his jaw, Michael complained, "Why didn't anyone call me when it happened? I had a right to know! She is MY mother!"

Brian turned to face him, his eyes wide with astonishment. "You don't get it, do you? I can't believe that you are whining over that! She didn't even want to go the hospital, and it was YOU that put her there! Michael, I have never been more fucking _disappointed_ in you."

Finally rising stiffly from the floor, Michael braced his hands on the counter as he maintained, "I didn't mean to! I love my mother; you know that!"

Throwing him a death stare, Brian growled curtly, "Then treat her like that!"

Michael watched as Brian left the shop, slamming the door and rattling the glass as he did. The words ' _disappointed in you'_ hurt more then the punch did. He wondered how on earth he was going to make it up to his mother after this - and regain his best friend's respect as well.

* * *

 _The Loft..._

When Brian made it back to the loft, he was glad to see that Debbie was sound asleep and resting well. Sitting on a chair, Brian closed his eyes and prayed that Justin would be home soon. He really needed the comfort of his arms.

Just then his phone vibrated in his pocket; moving to the other side of the loft so he wouldn't wake Debbie he peered at the caller I.D., happy to hear the sweet voice of his lover.

"Hey."

"Hi, Sunshine," Brian replied, letting out a deep breath. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear your voice right now."

Worried, Justin asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you okay?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Brian sighed. "You have no idea, but between Michael being an idiot and Debbie collapsing at the diner earlier today, it's been a very rough few hours."

Justin gasped. "Debbie collapsed? Is she alright?"

Nodding into the phone, Brian told him everything, trying not to cry while he did do, because it was not the _Brian Kinney_ thing to do.

Shocked, Justin cursed in anger. "Fuck, Michael is a real moron! Thank God you were there, Brian." He paused for a moment before adding, "I swear. I love you more and more every day."

Smiling upon hearing that, Brian sighed a happy sigh. "Love you, too, Sunshine. Please come home soon; I need the kind of hug only YOU can give me."

Grinning into the phone, Justin replied, "I'll be home within the hour, and I'll bring us all some Chinese food. Does that sound good?"

Closing his eyes, Brian smiled. "Sounds perfect."


	8. Confession

_The Loft..._

Carl arrived at the loft at the same time as Justin. Debbie had finally called to tell him what had happened earlier that day at the diner.

Racing to her side, he took her hand in his, worry etched all over his face. "Honey, why didn't you call me? I would have come straight away."

Smiling into his face, Debbie cupped his cheek. "I'm okay; I didn't want to worry you. Brian took really good care of me."

Brian blushed, glancing at Justin who smiled back at him.

Carl looked up at Brian then. "Thank you, Brian, for looking after my wife."

Shuffling his feet, and not used to getting thanked like that, he mumbled, "It was nothing."

Seeing how uncomfortable his partner was, Justin held up the bag of take-out food. "Dinner, everyone!"

As they ate their dinner everyone's phone kept ringing, but they chose to ignore them when they noticed the caller ID. When his rang for the tenth time, Brian finally answered it without preamble. "Michael, your mother needs to rest! Give it a few days, and we'll call you when she is ready to talk to you."

Complaining over the phone, Michael huffed, "But why?"

Feeling the rage building inside him again, Brian forcefully told him, "Just do what you are told for once! I said that someone will call you. You do NOT turn up unannounced here, at her home, or at the diner! Do I make myself clear?"

"But…"

"You heard me, Michael. Don't call us; we'll call you. You got it?"

Michael reluctantly agreed with a heavy breath. "Okay, okay; but don't take too long." The only response he received to his statement was a click on the other end as Brian disconnected the call.

* * *

 _The Novotny-Bruckner House..._

Ben looked up from reading his paper when he heard the front door open to observe Michael coming in. His smile soon faltered upon seeing the red mark on his husband's jaw.

He rose quickly from his chair and raced over to him. Grabbing ahold of his shoulders, he demanded, "Michael, what happened to you? Who did this?"

Pulling out of Ben's grasp, Michael sulked as he revealed, "Brian did it."

Fuming, Ben quickly reached for his jacket lying across the back of a nearby chair. "I'm going to go kick his ass! Why did he do this to you? This is the second time that he has hit you!"

Turning quickly in alarm, Michael grabbed his arm. "No, don't!" he pleaded. He hesitated briefly before admitting, "I deserved it."

Standing with his hands on his hips, Ben asked, "Why do you think you deserved what he did? Exactly what did you _do_?"

Biting his lip, Michael sighed, his shoulders sagging. "You'd better sit down. I don't think that you're going to like what I have to say. Is Hunter here?" he asked, preferring he not be there for this discussion.

Hanging his coat in the closet, Ben replied, "He's at a friend's house; now you'd better tell me what you've done," he told him curtly, pulling out one of their dining rooms to sit down and peer up at him expectantly.

Shuffling over in defeat to join him at the table, Michael explained it all. How the shop was failing, how he had fallen behind on the bills, and how he had had to ask his mother to re-mortgage her house, ending with how his mother had collapsed earlier in the day.

Ben sat there speechless after Michael finished, shaking his head in disbelief.

The silence went on for several minutes until Michael couldn't take it any longer. "Say something, Ben! Please."

Ben peered over at his husband like he was viewing a stranger; the Michael he knew and loved wouldn't do something like this. "I don't know whether to punch you myself, or walk out of here to cool down. You lied to me, to us! You said that business had picked up, and was the source of all your extra money. How could you do it, Michael? How could you put your mother's health at risk like that? You should be ashamed of what you did! I'm honestly not sure if I can forgive you for what you've done or not."

Paling noticeably, Michael reached out for Ben's hand, only to have it snatched out of his grip. "Ben, please! I was desperate! I didn't know what to do!" he wailed.

Standing now, Ben leaned on the table with his hands as he pointed out, "You should have spoken to me! We could have sorted something out!" He shook his head in disgust. "I'm going to go stay with a friend somewhere for a few days. I need to cool down...and you need to apologize to everyone you affected."

Michael sputtered, "But Brian told me to stay away for a few days, and that he would call me when they're ready to talk to me!"

Heading into their bedroom to throw some clothes into a duffel bag, Ben replied, "Then you'd better listen to him, or you'll lose everyone, including Brian, forever."


	9. Mr Sexy

_The Loft..._

Justin held Brian as they showered, savoring every touch and caress. Carl had taken Debbie home earlier with her grumbling under her breath over Brian informing her that he had arranged for her to have some help to watch over her while she rested, so she didn't have to lift a finger.

Leaning his head on Justin's shoulder as the hot water cascaded down over their bodies, Brian took in a deep breath, letting it out and enjoying the comfort he was receiving from his partner's arms.

Kissing the top of Brian's head, Justin asked, "You want to move out of here and get some sleep... or maybe something else?" His fingers made a tantalizing path down his lover's spine, just stopping by the crease of his firm ass.

Pulling back to gaze into the blue, expressive eyes peering back at him, Brian smiled, brushing the blond hair that fell over Justin's brow as he replied, "As much as I would love to fuck your brains out right now, I will admit defeat and say I could use the rest more. I'm dead on my feet after the day we just had."

Holding Justin close with both arms now so their bodies were joined together, Brian laughed, shaking his head as he pleaded, "Please don't tell anyone that Brian Kinney turned down sex with the hottest guy in the USA."

Kissing the tip of Brian's nose before playfully nipping his chin, Justin assured him with a grin on his face, "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."

As soon as a freshly dried Brian hit the pillow, he was out like a light, wrapped around his Sunshine as always.

* * *

 _The Novotny-Bruckner House..._

Michael lay awake gazing up at the ceiling, alone in his bed. The house felt so big and quiet with Ben gone; even Hunter had stormed out of the house to go stay with friends once he had came home and found out what had happened. Feeling sorry for himself despite what he had done, Michael fervently hoped that Brian would call him very soon.

* * *

 _The Loft..._

 _A few days later..._

Brian woke to the smell of coffee and eggs, his favorite breakfast. Making his way to the kitchen area, he saw Justin cooking as he danced to the music that was playing.

Creeping up behind the blond, he wrapped his arms around him from behind, receiving a yelp of surprise from him.

Chuckling, Brian pulled the slender man into his body, kissing his neck and whispering in his ear, "Morning sexy."

Leaning back into the warm embrace Justin giggled at the pet name. "Morning yourself, handsome," he replied in kind, adding one of his own.

Nipping at his jaw and ear, he earned a groan of pleasure from Justin as he asked, "Am I not sexy as well?"

Pressing his backside into the noticeable hardness of a very happy-morning Brian, Justin moaned as pleasure raced through his body. "You're kidding, right? You are sex on legs, Brian. So, stud, do you want breakfast first, or..." Justin began to wriggle his bubble butt harder against the bulge he felt, making Brian groan and grip his body even tighter against his, "...move it to the bedroom first."

Reaching over, Brian turned off the stove top burners before he spun Justin around to kiss him deeply while he backed him into the bedroom, discarding clothes on the way.

* * *

Later that morning after a repeat of some hot sex in the shower, they finally sat down for breakfast.

Sitting across from Brian, Justin asked, "So, what's on your agenda today?"

Sipping juice and eating his eggs, Brian answered, "We have the screening today for Kelly and Emma's commercials."

Smiling now, Justin got excited. "Oh that will be fun! Are the girls coming in to take a look at it?"

Nodding with a smile on his face, Brian replied, "Yeah. The clients will be in the room, too, so I hope that everything goes well for the girls, and they like what they see."

Coming around the table, Justin gave Brian a sweet kiss as he assured him, "Everything will be perfect."

* * *

 _Kinnetik Offices..._

Kelly and Emma ran in and immediately hugged Brian. "Brian! Brian, we are so excited about today, are you?"

Crouching down to their level, Brian smiled at them with a nod. "You bet! And I know it's going to be great. My clients will be here in a few minutes."

The clients arrived and greeted the girls, telling them how eager they were to see their creations.

They sat in the viewing room the girls sandwiched between Brian and their dad, both men held their hands as the commercials played on the big screen in front of them.

When the lights came back on Brian, Kelly, Emma and their dad Kevin held their breath waiting to see the reaction. What they got was cheers and lots of clapping. Both agencies love them and were extremely excited to have them. The girls beamed huge smiles as Brian and their dad looked at them with pride.

 _The Loft..._

Later that night Brian lay on the couch his head resting on Justin's lap as they watched a movie. Justin ran his fingers through the brown locks and getting groans pleasure from him from the man he loved.

Twisting so he could gaze up at the blues eyes Brian loved he smiled his sexy smile, "So sexy, you fancy finishing the day the way we started it?"

Using his other hand Justin ran it down Brian's chest slowly before lightly running a finger over the bulge in pants making Brian push into the touch seeking out more. Leaning down kissing Brain, "I think that is the best ideas that I have heard all day, hot stuff"


	10. The Sound Of Silence

_The Novotny-Bruckner House..._

Michael sat at the table, resting his chin on his hands and feeling dejected. A few days had passed, and he hadn't heard a word from anyone.

When Ben had stormed out of the house with a bag in tow, Michael thought his world had come to an end.

Looking around the house, it seemed so huge, and sounds he didn't know it could ever make reverberated throughout the inside, making him turn his head and wonder what had made them.

Sighing, he pushed the chair back, bringing his cup and plate to the sink so he could wash them and put them away.

Turning to lean on the sink, Michael ran his fingers through his hair in frustration; at the moment, not even Hunter would talk to him.

Closing his eyes, he remembered the look of horror on the young man's face after he had heard what had happened. Hunter had just shaken his head in disgust before stuffing a bag with some of his things just like Ben had done, and had stormed out of the house, yelling that he was going to stay with a friend.

He never thought his family home would feel so lifeless and lonely.

Glancing at the clock, Michael thought it was best he head to the shop, since the construction crew was due to start today; there would be a lot of work commencing, and some decisions that had to be made.

* * *

The workers were waiting for him when he arrived. Sliding out from the driver's seat and opening the door, he told them apologetically, "Sorry for keeping you waiting; the traffic coming in was a nightmare."

The head worker shook his hand, "No problem; the name's Jim. We just pulled up ourselves. So are you ready for us to get to work?"

Walking over to unlock the door for the workers, Michael nodded, "I sure am; I've already got everything stored in boxes, so the place is all cleared out for you. How long do you think it will take?"

Standing in the middle of the shop, Jim scrutinized the space before deciding, "I'd say a few days; the shelving is built, so we just have to fit it all together after we remove the old ones. Do you still want those chopped up for firewood?"

Nodding, Michael smiled. "Yeah, because it will be perfect for our fireplace back at the house, and we can use some of it out in our back garden, too."

Slapping Michael on the back with a burly hand, Jim nodded. "Sounds like a plan! We'll get to work, then. What will you do while we are working?"

Clutching his car keys in his hand, Michael answered, "I have to collect some new plastic protectors for the comics and grab some of the new posters to frame them upstairs. Don't worry, though; I'll use the other entrance, so I won't get in the way."

Rubbing his chin, Jim smiled again, "Good thing you have two ways to get in and out," he told him with a nod. We'll let you know if we run into anything we have questions about."

Michael nodded. "Thanks," he told them, as he scooped up the boxes he needed and headed upstairs.

* * *

Their conversation ended and instructions given, Jim went to work with the others, tearing down the shelving before breaking the boards down so they could be slid into bags that made the work a lot easier to clean up.

* * *

A short time later, Michael headed back downstairs, getting into the car to set off to a nearby supply store to get the supplies he needed and to pick up some paint, along with the new Rage poster and some other comic posters that he had ordered.

Normally this would be a very enjoyable experience for Michael, but everything just felt hollow, and he realized it would remain that way until Ben and Hunter came home. Plus, he knew he needed to go visit his mother and apologize. He could only hope that he could get Brian to forgive him.

* * *

 _Kinnetik Offices..._

An unexpected knock on the door startled Justin, causing him to reluctantly remove himself from Brian's lap and move to a nearby chair.

Cynthia poked her head around the door, giving them a knowing look and smiling as she observed papers scattered everywhere, and the flushed look on their faces. "Brian, your one o'clock is here; should I delay him for you for a few moments...until you can wrap up some unfinished business?"

Clearing his throat and fixing his tie, Brian grinned with a smirk. "Do you have to ask?"

Shaking her head in amusement, she turned around and left, firmly closing the door behind her.

Pulling Justin back into his lap, the two kissed deeply before Justin remarked dryly, "I think that's my cue to leave. So I'll see you at home tonight; you want anything special for dinner? "Besides me," he added with a grin before Brian could utter exactly that sentiment.

Leaning back in his chair and wiggling his eyebrows, Brian gave him a cheeky smile. "Well, if you're off the menu until later, I guess I wouldn't mind some Thai food."

Laughing, Justin gave him a smouldering stare before whispering in his ear, "I can arrange all of that."

Grinning, Brian gave him one, final peck on the lips before he reluctantly let him go, his cock paying special attention to the swishing ass departing, and causing him to groan, thankful that he was sitting behind his desk.

* * *

Michael's phone rang precisely at 6:00 p.m., startling him before he quickly picked it up and answering it, not even bothering to check the caller ID. "Ben, is that you?"

Brian frowned. "No, guess again." Although he suspected what the answer might be, he asked anyway. "Where has Ben gone, Michael?"

Michael sat down heavily before admitting, "He walked out a few days ago after hearing about what I did...and so did Hunter."

Blowing out a breath, Brian replied, "Are you really surprised, Mikey?"

Closing his eyes as anguish washed through him, Michael sighed. "I guess not. I just hope we can save our marriage. I'm lost without him."

Loosening his tie, Brian was still disappointed in his best friend for what he did, but he still couldn't help being sympathetic; Michael never had been one to like being alone. "I hope you can as well," he told him. "Listen. Can you go visit your mother on Friday? I know you have the remodelers working in your shop; I saw them when I passed by there today. But she would like to see you."

Feeling a little disheartened that Brian hadn't actually come into the shop to see him, nonetheless Michael couldn't help being encouraged by what Brian was saying. "Yeah! That would be great! I won't let you down," he promised him. "What time, and where does she want to meet? At the house?"

Looking at the clock, Brian told him, "No. Not the house. Let's say seven o'clock here at the loft. We can all have dinner and talk. But you'd better not whine, and you'd better be on your best behavior, Michael; your mother doesn't need any more bullshit. You got it?"

Michael squeezed his eyes shut in relief. "I won't. I've learned my lesson."

Brian rolled his eyes, not quite convinced, but still hopeful. Surely after everything that had happened, Michael realized he was skating on thin ice now. "I'm going to hold you to that, Michael," he told him curtly. "See you then." He cut off the call, not waiting for an answering reply and leaving Michael to respond with an "okay" to dead air.

Sighing, Michael laid his phone down, for once at least feeling just a little hopeful that things would now improve. He knew that would all rest on him now.


	11. Conversation

_Red Cape Comics..._

Michael stood in his now refurbished shop, admiring the work that had been done. The new state-of-the-art display shelving was amazing; it had buttons you could press to rotate them to accommodate those customers who were in wheelchairs, or who were too short to reach the higher shelves. All that remained now was to remodel the bathrooms to add lower-seated toilets and grab bars, plus have a handicap-accessible button installed that could be pressed to open the door to the store more easily. The workers would be coming back to finish the rest of that work in a few weeks' time due to a delay in obtaining the necessary parts to complete the remodeling. Then, everything would finally be complete, and hopefully it would generate more business for his store.

Rubbing his face, Michael could feel his stomach tied up in knots as he thought about tonight. He didn't know who was going to attend other than Brian, Justin, and his mother, along with Carl. He _did_ know it would be an awkward encounter, but a necessary one if he was to make amends with everyone.

Picking up his phone, he hit No. 1 on his speed dial, hearing it ring and listening for a voice he longed to hear, but receiving a voicemail instead: "This is Ben. I can't answer right now, please leave a message." Sighing, Michael took a deep breath before saying, "Ben, I miss you. Will you be at the dinner tonight for maw? Please. I love you." Hanging up, he stood there for a few moments before he turned and headed toward the door to lock up, wondering what tonight would bring.

* * *

 _The Loft..._

Justin woke Brian up the best way he knew how, with his talented mouth working its magic. It didn't take long before hands sank into his hair and his mouth was filled with pleasure as a reward. Moving back up Brian's body, he kissed him soundly. "Morning."

Brian smiled lazily at his blond lover. "Morning, Sunshine."

Laying his head on Brian's chest, Justin snuggled into the warmth of it. "I love doing this with you; lying here, just like this."

Hugging him close and kissing the top of his head, Brian smiled. "Me, too; just don't tell anyone that I said that."

Laughing, Justin turned and placed a kiss over his heart. "Your secret is safe with me."

Sighing deeply now, Brian asked, "Are you ready for tonight?"

Running his fingers up and down Brian's arm, Justin replied, "We'll be fine. We'll get everything sorted out with Debbie and Carl."

Brian nodded, wrapping his arm tighter around his partner as they enjoyed a few more moments of solitude.

* * *

 _Novotny-Horvath House..._

Debbie sat at the table, drinking her coffee and eating her breakfast, while Carl read his morning paper. The tension in the air was palpable.

Carl noticed the thoughtful look on Debbie's face as he placed his paper down onto the table and covered one of her hands with his. "It's going to be fine, honey. Brian and Justin will be here soon to discuss everything."

Debbie sighed as she squeezed Carl's hand. "I hope so," she murmured, hating all the strife present in her 'family.' Tonight would result in a resolution, one way or the other.

* * *

 _Later That Day…_

Brian and Justin arrived as promised, and were greeted by Debbie with warm hugs. "Come in, guys."

Greeting Carl on the way in, they all ended up sitting in the living room area of the house.

Debbie asked, "Brian, how do you suggest we handle this tonight?"

Brian leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "When Michael arrives at the loft, I think we should eat first, and then have our little _conversation_ ," he couldn't help smirking as he explained, "He's normally more rational when he's full of it. Food, I mean," he added, making everyone snicker. That broke the tension, making them all laugh.

Carl shook his head in amusement. "I like your way of thinking," he declared. "We should try that at the station when we're questioning our suspects."

They talked for a while longer before deciding on what type of food to order; Brian made sure that Debbie was receiving enough funds out of the account he had set up so she would never have to worry again about her monthly expenses, and Debbie assured him that it was more than enough; in fact, it was almost an embarrassment of riches, compared to what she was used to, but Brian was relieved to know that money would never be an issue for her ever again.

* * *

Debbie and Carl stood at the window, watching Brian and Justin pull away. Debbie leaned into her husband as she commented softly, "Most people really don't understand just how big a heart Brian really has, since he only shows it to a select few; we're damn lucky that he lets us see the kindhearted man that he really is."

Kissing her temple, Carl nodded with a smile. "We sure are, honey."

* * *

 _The Loft..._

Michael arrived fifteen minutes early, deciding it couldn't hurt to create an initial good impression. He hesitated before knocking on the loft door.

Brian peered over at everyone upon hearing the knock. He commented grimly, "Here we go."

Opening the door a few minutes later, he was greeted by a very nervous-looking Michael. Brian stared at him for a second before sweeping his hand out toward the others. "Come on in, Mikey."

Michael hesitantly entered as Brian urged him, observing Justin, Carl, his mother, and thankfully Ben and Hunter. Handing Brian a bottle of wine he had brought with him as a sort of peace offering, he nodded over at the group. "Hi, guys." All he received in response was a series of nods and grunts, which caused his anxiety level to rise.

Brian placed the wine on the table, "So here's the plan, Michael. We're going to eat dinner...and then we're going to have our little chat."

Nodding, Michael tried to smile, but it came out as more of a tentative sort of expression. At this point, however, he would pretty much agree to anything. "That sounds fine; thank you," he murmured.

* * *

Dinner was tense and awkward, accentuated by only a few innocuous comments about the food and the weather, but most of them did manage to eat most of their meal. Michael, however, seemed to mainly play with his food, finding he didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. A few minutes later, they all headed over to the living room area to talk.

Brian stood in front of them all before stating, "So, Mikey...the floor is all yours. What do you have to say to your mother, Carl, Ben and Hunter?" He walked over and sat down next to Justin on the loveseat, peering up at his friend expectantly.

Michael licked his lips to wet them before standing to face everyone gathered in the loft. His legs felt like jelly as he began by addressing his mother. "First of all, I want to say how sorry I am for what I asked you to do, Maw. I never meant to put your health at risk."

Hunter butted in, "Well, you should have thought about that, Michael, before you screwed your mother over!"

Nodding, Michael had to agree. "I know, Hunter!" he cried out. "I really didn't think! I'm truly sorry for everything!" He took a deep breath, turning back to peer down at his mother. "I'm sorry for making you take out another mortgage, and for lying to you. Ben...Hunter...I'm sorry, too, for deceiving you - and everyone else - with my lies. I can promise you that it will never happen again." He held his breath for a moment before asking, "Can you all forgive me? I want a chance to prove myself." His eyes misted over as he told them, "I miss you all so much. These past few days have been hell."

Brian's angry face looked back at him as he growled, "Then you know _half_ of what it felt like when your mother collapsed in my arms! I thought the closest thing to a mother that I would ever have was dead, and It was because of _you_. So you'd better mean those words, Mikey, because so help me, you'll rue the day you harm this family again. Are you listening, Michael? Do you understand?"

Swallowing hard, Michael nodded as he turned even paler. "Yeah. Yeah, I understand," he hastily replied. "I promise, Brian. I swear! I'll never do anything like this again!" He took a shaky breath before asking, "Can you all forgive me?"

Justin was the first to respond, nodding with his lips pressed in a tight line. "I'm willing. But you're not going to regain everyone's trust overnight. Right, Deb? Baby steps."

Debbie looked at her son, standing there looking scared, and despite what he had done, she couldn't help having sympathy for him. "Yeah...Baby steps, Michael. We can start with a hug," she decided, standing up and holding her arms out wide. "Come here and give your mother a hug, young man."

Relief washing over him, Michael stood there, embracing his mother, praying that maybe this was Step One to repairing what he had done; but only time would tell.


	12. Epilogue

Liberty Avenue and Beyond...

Over the next few months, things slowly returned to normal, and everyone moved forward. For Brian and Justin, they were more in love than ever, and Brian wound up hiring Justin for the Art Department without knowing it was his partner that he was hiring. That caused major laughter, because none of the applicants' names were on the form that Brian saw; he had chosen to be as objective as possible by determining the best candidate by their talent alone. So naturally, whether intentional or not, that had wound up being Justin.

Emma and Kelly were asked by other companies for more suggestions regarding their products, and they were soon in high demand, so successful that their college funds were very healthy. Emma even received a cameo role on her favourite TV show.

It was still taking some time to heal all wounds, but Michael was making progress with his family. Ben and Hunter moved back in, but they were all taking it one day at a time.

Debbie forgave her son, but like the rest she had to gradually learn to fully trust her son again. Thankfully, her health improved quickly and she was able to return to work, but only for three days a week. Thanks to the money from Brian, however, she didn't have to worry about money ever again. Brian had increased the money he gave her without telling her, because he wanted the woman he had come to love as a mother to be secure and happy.

Yes, things were getting better, and the family was once again getting back to being the family they all loved and cherished.

The End...For now….


End file.
